Method and container for packaging tobacco



Sept. 25, 1934. F. A. PRAHL 1,974,995

7 METHOD AND CONTAINER FOR PACKAGING TOBACCO Filed Dec. 8. 1932 VXWMMMWE Patented Sept. 25, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD ANDCONTAINER FOR PACKAGING TOBACCO Application December 8, 1932, Serial No.646,344

1 Claim.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a method ofpackaging tobacco for storage and for sales purposes, and the packageproduced by said method.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of packaging tobaccowhereby the tobacco is placed in cans which may be readily opened andclosed for sales purposes, and whereby the filled cans may be retainedunder seal in vacuum until it is desired to display said cans for sale.

A further object of the invention is to provide a package for tobaccowherein a series of cans filled with tobacco for sales purposes may begrouped in a unit and hermetically sealed in a container under vacuum,which container may be easily opened to give access to said cans when itis desired to display the same for sales purposes.

In the drawing which shows by way of illustration one embodiment of theinvention- Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly insection showing a container having therein a series of cans in which thetobacco is placed;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the package, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in section through the upper portion of oneof the cans.

The invention has to do particularly with the method of packagingtobacco, such as smoking tobacco. The tobacco is placed in cans in whichit is to be sold. These cans are provided with flat sides and roundedend portions so that the K cans may be readily slipped in a pocket, ifdesired. The can is also provided with'a re-closure cover, preferablyhinged thereto, so that it may be readily opened and closed to giveaccess to the tobacco therein. The cans are placed together in a unitwith the flat sides in contact, and one or two units are then placed ina metal container which is shaped in cross section so as to contact withthe fiat sides and the end portions of the cans. The corners of thecontainer are preferably rounded to correspond with the rounded portionof the can which contacts therewith. The cans are provided with a doubleseam at the bottom end thereof, and with a bead adjacent the upper endwhich is of substantially the same diameter as the double seam, so thatwhen the cans are placed together in the unit, the double seams and theheads will contact with each other.

This will prevent the rubbing of the sides, and

also maintain the cans in a relatively fixed posi-,

tion in the container for shipment and for handling during storage. Twounits may be placed in a single container, one on top of the other, ifdesired. The container is then placed under vacuum and sealed so thatthe air with its oxygen content is removed from the container and alsofrom the cans. The container is provided with score lines in one of itswalls so that it may be readily opened when it is desired to gain accessto the cans for displaying the same for sale.

The invention will be described in detail in connection with theillustrated embodiment of the package in the accompanying drawing. The

package consists of a series of cans 1. Each can has the bottom endthereof double-seamed to the body portion as indicated at 2. Each canalso is provided with a bead 3 adjacent the upper end and above the beadis a hinge cover 4 of also the fiat side portion of the beads 3 in con-30 tact. This will hold the cans spaced so that the decorated side wallsthereof will not rub against each other. As shown in the drawing, thereis a second series of cans of a similar character-placed on top of thefirst unit. The two units of cans are placed in a container consistingof a body portion 5 having a closing end 6 secured thereto by a doubleseam '7. The body wall is provided with score lines 8 and 9 forming arip strip having an extending tongue 10 on which a key is placed fortearing away the rip strip to open the container. This container is sodimensioned that the side walls 11 and 12 contact with the ends of thecans, while the end Walls 13 and 14 contact with the sides of the cans.The contact is really between the seam at the bottom of the can and thewalls of the container, and also between the bead at the top 'of the canand the walls of the container. This holds the unit from shifting in thecontainer,

and likewise prevents any rubbing of the decorated faces of the cans.After the units have been placed in the container, the container isplaced under vacuum, thus removing the air and its oxygen content fromthe container, and also from the cans, as the covermore or less looselycontacts therewith when closed. Thus the tobacco is freed from anycontact with the oxygen of the air, which prevents deterioration of thetobacco. The container is sealed by attaching 2d the top end 15 theretoby a double seam 16. This completes the package. The package may beshipped and stored and the tobacco will be kept in perfect condition aslong as thepackage is not broken. When the vendor desires to place onsale the cans containing the tobacco, it is necessary to only open suchcontainers as are required to obtain the desired number of cans fordisplay and sale. For example, when one container is opened, there aretwelve cans which may be removed and placed on sale. All the rest of thesupply is kept under vacuum in the container until it is desired todisplay the same. In this way, the tobacco is kept very fresh, and atthe same time, the vendor has ample supply for sale to the customers.

My improved package consists of a unit made up of cans containingtobacco which are ready for display or sale, which unit is hermeticallysealed in a container from which the oxygen has been excluded and thecans are so shaped and placed in the container that they may be readilyhandled for shipment or for storage. My improved method consists in thepacking of the tobacco in'the cans in which it is to be sold and .themaintaining of the cans in unit packages which are sealed and from whichthe air has been removed so as to preserve the quality of the tobaccountil the unit package is broken for displaying the cans for sale.

It is obvious that the shaping of the cans and the arrangement thereofin the package may be varied withoutdeparting from the spirit of theinvention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- A storage and shipping package fortobacco comprising a rectangular metal container having a body portionprovided with rounded corners and ends double seamed thereto whereby thecontainer may be closed in vacuum, said container having score lines inthe body thereof adjacent the upper double seam whereby the metal may beruptured for opening the container, a series of sales cans havingreclosure covers and containing tobacco, said cans being arranged in aunit within said container, each can having a flat side and a roundedend, a projecting double seam at the bottom and a projecting bead ofsimilar dimensions adjacent the top, said cans being placed in the unitside by side with the double seems at the bottom and the beads adjacentthe top in contact with each other, said unit being dimensioned so as toengage the end walls and side walls of the container whereby said cansfit snugly in said container and are held against shifting and rubbingone on the other.

FREDERICK A. PRAHL.

